The Santa Barbara Run Club has reached the finish line.
After three years of hosting weekly community runs in Santa Barbara, The SBRC will embark on its final run on Saturday, May 23, in what the organization expects to be one of the biggest turnouts yet.
The final run will begin at 9 a.m. at Zaca Coffee in the Funk Zone and will follow the usual 5K format, ending back at Zaca Coffee for a social hour with the runners.
The run club is coming to an end “because we wanted to close this chapter on a high note while the community still felt special,” according to The SBRC organizer Jahir Sanchez.Â
“What started as a small local group grew into a consistent community that brought together thousands of people, collaborations with local businesses, and helped inspire even more run and wellness clubs and community events around Santa Barbara,” Sanchez said.
“We took a lot of inspiration from cities like Sydney and San Diego, where movement, coffee and community are deeply connected socially. From the beginning, we wanted SBRC to feel bigger than just a weekly run.”
The SBRC has hosted 135 total Saturday 5Ks and over 100 midweek 10Ks featuring thousands of runners over the past three years.
“Building The SBRC also showed us how much people crave approachable, community-oriented wellness experiences,” Sanchez said. “We’re proud of what the club has grown into and wanted to celebrate it properly with one last run.”
While ‘The Santa Barbara Run Club’ is coming to an end, Santa Barbara Run Club, a separate organization, will continue to meet weekly.